Uncle Ted was buying them all kinds of toys and taking them places with Mommy. And Mommy was so happy and smiling and laughing all the time. I suffered the torture of a thousand small cuts as I kept smiling for the kids as they innocently told me of all the good things they had done. I reached for the gift bags that I brought back from last month fiasco and waited with expectation to see the smiles on their faces. Steven picked through his and said that Uncle Ted had bought them both iPads and iPods.

The bottom of my heart dropped out as I realized I could never...